Three leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including a District Development Council (DDC) member, have resigned from the party in Jammu. Taranjit Singh Tony, Yash Pal Kundal, and Namrata Sharma, who was the women’s wing president of AAP in Jammu, submitted separate resignation letters to AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal.
Tony expressed his disappointment with the party, stating that they had been sidelined and ignored by the leadership. He highlighted the fact that the party office in Jammu had not opened even once in the past eight months. According to Tony, they were influenced by the party’s programs and manifesto, as well as its governance in Delhi and Punjab, which led them to join AAP last year in Delhi.
However, Tony claimed that the change in leadership in Jammu and Kashmir had caused the party to lose its direction. He acknowledged Kejriwal’s competency as a leader but criticized those in charge in Jammu for disregarding the situation in the Union Territory and failing to serve the party’s best interests. Tony expressed concern that the party had not discussed or formulated a strategy for the upcoming local bodies and panchayat elections.
Kundal added that over 200 office-bearers, including district presidents and secretaries, had also resigned from AAP. He stated that they are now free to join any secular party.
It remains to be seen how these resignations will impact AAP’s presence and support in Jammu. The party will have to address the concerns of these former leaders and reestablish its credibility in the region.